Display stand



Jan. 10, 1956 I F. c. MUNTWYLER 3 DISPLAY STAND Filed Nov. 2, 1954 zz 2%m o a o u g0 o e o o no United States Patent r ice DISPLAY STAND FredricC. Muntwyler, Palos Park, Ill. Application November 2, 1954, Serial No.466,286

aim 1 2 7- 7) This invention relates to a new and improvedneasel ordisplay stand comprising a display panel andsupporting leg structuretherefor.

It is a general object of the inventionto providea new and improveddisplay device of, the type described which is inexpensive to constructand provides a more firm support than prior art devices.

In prior constructions, display stands have Zincluded a display panelsupported by legs secured to the panel by means of threaded connections,Since display stands are often moved from place to place and frequently.assembled and disassembled, the use of threaded connectionsis timeconsuming and the parts aresubject to considerable wear. In the presentconstruction, the panel is'supported by leg structure which may bereadily attached and detached without the use of screws, audit is a moreparticular object of the invention to provide a display stand whereinthe panel and supporting. leg structure are assembled manually and aresecurely-heldtogetherby closely interfitting means on the panelandlegstructure which require that in assembling the parts theleg structurebe biased to fit its co-operating means on the panel whereby, whenassembled, the panel andleg structure are securely connected, andwhereby added weight on the display panel tends to bind the supportingleg structure more securely to the panel;

It is also an object of the invention to providea new and improved standof the type described: including a panel having a frame around theedgeof a lower portion thereof, the frame having adjacent each bottom.corner thereof a downwardly extending projection and-in .each sideportion thereof one or morerecesses extendingaupwardly and inwardly fromthe outer edge thereof .and a supporting leg structure for each side ofthe frame, each of the leg structures comprising a pair of legsdiverging downwardly and forwardly and rearwardly from-a positionadjacent said recesses and having portions at their upper endsdetachably fitting in Saidrecesses-and a transverse rod extendingbetween lower portions of said'legs in a front to rear direction withrespect to the-frame and having a portion interconnecting with one ofsaid projec- D tions.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from thefollowing detailed description. taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a display stand embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation taken from the right of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary exploded front view; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan viewt-aken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

The invention further resides in the combination, construction andarrangement of partsillustrated in the accompanying drawings, andwhilell'have shown therein a preferred embodiment, I wish it understoodthat the same is susceptible of modification and change within the scopeof the appended claims.

2,730,323 Patented Jan. 10, 1956 Referring now to the drawings, theinvention as disclosed herein is embodied in a stand including a displaypanel 2 which may be provided'with apluralityof apertures 4 arranged inany desirable pattern and adapted to receive pegs which may beutilizedto support a variety of articles for display. The display panel2- maybe .provided with a frame extending around theouter edge thereof,the frame including a bottom portion 6 and side'portions 8.

On the bottom face of the bottom portion 6 of the frame, adjacent eachside portion 8, there is provided a groove 10 extending in a directionfrom front to rear with respect to the panel to define a downwardlyextending projection 12 at each bottom cornerof the. frame. The sideportions 3 are provided with recesses. extending angularly upwardly andinwardly from the outer edge of the frame. As shown, each of the sideportions 8 is provided with a pair of opposed recesses 14, arranged inthe front and rear faces respectively of the side portion 8, and spacedupwardly from the bottom portion 6 .of

the frame. The grooves 1t] and the recesses 14 are adapted to receiveclosely interfitting portions of the supporting leg structure to bedescribed presently.

The display panel is adapted to be held by a supporting leg structure 16provided at each side of the panel. Each of the supporting legstructures comprises a pair of legs 18 and 211 diverging downwardly and,forwardly and rearwardly respectively, from a position adjacent therecesses 14 and each of the legs 18 and 20 is provided with an angularlybent portion 22 at its upper end. The angularly bent portions 22 areadapted to be fittedrespectively into the recesses 14 when the displaystand is assembled. The legs 18 and 29 may be rigidly connected neartheir upper ends by means of a transverse rod 24 extending in a front torear direction with respect. to the panel. The legs 18 and 20 arerigidly connected near their bottom ends by means of a rod 26 As shown,the leg 13 which extends forwardly from the panel is slightly longerthan the rearwardly extendingleg 2t andthetransverse rod 25 is connectedat its opposite ends to thelegs 18 and 2d at points equidistantly spacedfrom the upper ends of the legs. In this manner,.as will appear, thepanel 2 is maintained in a plane slightly inclined upwardlyandrearwardly to facilitate the display. Each of the transverse rods 26is provided at its mid portion with a rigidly secured U-shaped bracket28 adapted toembrace the adjacent projection 12 on the bottom of theframe when the leg structure is attached to the panel.

"vihile the leg structure and the frame are closely interfitted andsecurely connected when assembled as shown in Fig. l, for example, theleg structure is constructed so that it must be biased to simultaneouslyfit its cooperating projection lZandrecesses 14 on thepanel. To thisend, when the leg structure is detached, the interior an le defined bythe angularly bent portions 22, with the vertical portions of the legs,is greater than the angle defined by the recesses 14 with the outer edgeof the frame portion 8 extending therebelow. In one embodiment, forexample, the latter angle is about degrees and the former a fewdegreesgreater. Thus, as the angularly bent portions 22 .on the legs 18and Zil are slidaoly fitted into the recesses ldbyan upward and inwardmotion, the lower portion of the legs is bent inwardly toward the middleof the bottom portionfi of the frame in order that the U-shaped bracket28 may be latched over the projection 12 and seated in ahome position.The legs 18 and it maybe constructed of anyrelatively rigid materialsuch as wire rod, for example, which has a degree of flexibility topermit its assembly as de scribed.

In this manner, the panel frame and the leg structure are securelyfastened together, the 'panel' being Supported by the angularly bentportions 22 of the legs as well as by the U-shaped brackets 28. Thebrackets 28, being latched over the projection 12, also serve to preventany lateral movement of the leg structure 16 with respect to the panel2. Any added weight, placed on the panel 2 by objects displayed thereon,bears on the leg portions 22 and tends to spread the legs outwardly asviewed in Fig. 1 and thus binds the bracket 28 more securely to theprojection 12.

By virtue of the fact that the legs 18 are longer than the legs 20, thepanel is inclined upwardly and rearwardly, and the center of gravity ofthe stand is spaced rearwardly of the mid-point between the bottom endsof the legs 18 and 20. The stand, however, is intended for use primarilyin displaying articles of considerable weight, which, when supported onpegs in the apertures 4, extend forwardly of the panel and tend to movethe center of gravity forwardly and thus add greater stability to thestand when placed in use.

I claim:

1. A display stand adapted to be assembled and disassembled and heldtogether solely by closely interfitting means on its componentscomprising, in combination: a generally vertically arranged displaypanel hav ing a frame around the outer edge thereof, said frame having,in the bottom edge thereof, adjacent each corner, a groove extending ina front to rear direction to define a downwardly extending projectionhaving a square cross section, said frame also having, in each sideportion thereof above the bottom, in the front and rear faces,respectively, recesses extending angularly upwardly and inward ly fromthe outer edge of the frame; and a supporting leg structure for eachside of the frame, each of said leg structures comprising a pair of legsdisposed in a vertical plane and diverging downwardly and, forwardly andrearwardly respectively, from a position adjacent said recesses, saidforwardly extending leg being longer than the rearwardly extending leg,each of said legs having an angularly bent portion at its upper end,said angularly bent portions being detachably fitted respectively insaid recesses, a transverse rod extending in a front to rear directionand rigidly connecting said legs near their upper ends, a lowertransverse rod extending in a front to rear direction and rigidlyconnected to said legs near their lower ends at points equidistantlyspaced from the upper ends of said legs, and a U-shaped bracket securedto the midportion of said lower transverse rod and embracing theadjacent downwardly extending projection on said frame, the interiorangle defined by said angularly bent portions of said legs with thevertical portions of said legs, when disassembled, being greater thanthe angle defined by said recesses with the outer edge of said frameextending therebelow, whereby said leg structures must be biased duringassembly in order for said U-shaped portions on said lower transverserods to embrace said downwardly extending projections on said frame.

2. A display stand adapted to be assembled and disassembled and heldtogether solely by closely interfitting means on its componentscomprising, in combination: a generally vertically disposed displaypanel having a frame around the outer edge of a lower portion thereof,said frame having, at the bottom, adjacent each corner,

a downwardly extending projection, said frame also hava ing, in eachside portion thereof above the bottom, in the front and rear faces,respectively, recesses extending angularly upwardly and inwardly fromthe outer edge of the frame; and a supporting leg structure for eachside of the frame, each of said leg structures comprising a pair of legsdisposed in a vertical plane and diverging downwardly and, forwardly andrearwardly respectively, from a position adjacent said recesses, each ofsaid legs having an angularly bent portion at its upper end, saidangularly bent portions detachably fitting respectively in saidrecesses, a transverse rod extending in a front to rear direction andconnecting said legs near their upper ends,

a lower transverse rod extending in a front to rear direction andconnecting said legs near their lower ends, and a U-shaped portion onsaid lower transverse rod em bracing the adjacent downwardly extendingprojection on said frame, the interior angle defined by said angularlybent portions of said legs with the vertical portions of said legs, whendisassembled being greater than the angle defined by said recesses withthe outer edge of said frame extending therebelow, whereby said legstructures are biased when assembled in order for said U-shaped portionson said lower transverse rods to embrace said downwardly extendingprojections on said frame.

3. A stand adapted to be assembled and disassembled comprising, incombination: a generally vertically disposed panel having a frame aroundthe outer edge thereof, said frame having, in the bottom edge thereof,adjacent each corner, a groove extending in a front to rear direction todefine a downwardly extending projection, said frame also having, ineach side portion thereof above the bottom, in the front and rear faces,respectively, recesses extending angularly upwardly and inwardly fromthe outer edge of the frame; and a supporting leg structure for eachside of the frame, each of said leg structures comprising a pair of legsdisposed in a vertical plane and diverging downwardly and, forwardly andrearwardly respectively, from a position adjacent said recesses, saidforwardly extending leg being longer than the rearwardly extending leg,each of said legs having an angularly bent portion at its upper end,said angularly bent portions detachably fitting respectively in saidrecesses, a transverse rod extending in a front to rear direction andconnecting said legs near their upper ends, a lower transverse rodextending in a front to rear direction and connecting said legs neartheir lower ends at points equidistantly spaced from the upper ends ofsaid legs, and a bracket on said lower transverse rod embracing theadjacent downwardly extending projection on said frame.

4. A display stand comprising, in combination: a display panel having aframe around the outer edge of a lower portion thereof said framehaving, at the bottom adjacent each side portion thereof a downwardlyextending projection, said frame also having, in each side portionthereof above the bottom, recesses extending angularly upwardly andinwardly from the outer edge of the frame; and a supporting legstructure for each side of the frame, each of said leg structurescomprising a pair of legs in a vertical plane diverging downwardly andforwardly and rearwardly, respectively, from a positive adjacent saidrecesses, each of said legs having an angularly bent portion at itsupper end, said angularly bent portions detachably fitting respectivelyin said recesses, a transverse rod extending in a front to reardirection and connecting said legs near their lower ends, and a U-shapedportion on said transverse rod interconnecting with the adjacentdownwardly extending projection on said frame.

5. A display stand comprising, in combination: a generally verticallydisposed display panel having downwardly extending projections at thebottom adjacent opposite side portions, and recesses in the sideportions above the bottom extending upwardly and inwardly from the outeredge of the panel; and a supporting leg structure for each side of thepanel comprising a pair of legs diverging downwardly and, forwardly andrearwardly respectively and having portions at their upper endsdetachably fitting in said recesses, and a transverse rod extendingbetween lower portions of said legs in a front to rear direction withrespect to the panel and having a U- shaped portion interconnecting withthe adjacent downwardly extending projection to prevent vertical andlateral movement of the leg structure with respect to the panel when soconnected and when the upper portions of said legs are fitted in saidrecesses.

No references cited.

